There was a sense of relief and joy for Kingdom Stars coach Nompumelelo Mthembu after her side secured their first victory of the 2026 Telkom Netball League campaign at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon. After a difficult start of the tournament ,Kingdom Stars finally found their rhythm as they defeated Eastern Cape Aloes 42-45 in a thrilling encounter.
Goal Attacker Nomfundo Mngomezulu walked away with Player of the Match award after a sharp shooting display alongside Abigail Polombo under the poles. The defensive unit of Luyanda Msomi, Thulisile Maduna and Nozipho Ntshangase played a crucial role with important interceptions and turnovers, while attacking combination of Nosihle Mkhwanazi and Tanna de Freitas kept pressure high throughout the match.
Mthembu admitted the win meant a lot to the team. "It was a relief for us to finally get a win. Last time we planned well but things did not happen for us. This time around we executed our plan much better." said Mthembu. She added that the team remains focused on improving with every game.
"We want to maintain our positions as we are sitting seventh on the log. Every game we play with the mentality of becoming better. Even when we lose we do not want to lose by big margins. Our players have shown great mentality and positivity.
Stars will now shift focus to their next challenge against high flying Crinums on Sunday before taking on Fireballs on Tuesday.
